The Declaration of Independence

In Congress July 4th, 1776

The Manimous Declaration of the thirteen united states of America

Whin in the Course of human event it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the laws of nature and of nature's God entitle themm a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their creator certain unaliencable Rights, that among these are life, liberty and the persuit of happiness. That to secure these rights, governments are institued among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed. That whenever any form of govenment becomes destructive of these ends, it is the right of the people to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new government, laying 9it's foundation on such principles and organizing it's powers in such form, as to them shal seem most likely to effect their safety and happiness. Prudence indeed will will dictate that governments long establ9ished should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable that to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a train of abuses and usurpatioins, pursuing invariably the same object envinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their rith, it is their duty to throw off such government, and to provide new guards for their future security. Such hs been the patient sufferance of these colonies; and such is now the necessity which contrains them to alter their former Systems of Government. The history of the present king of Great Britaoin is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute tyranny over these states. To prove this, let facts be submitted to a candid world.

He has refused his Assent to Laaws, th3e most wholesom and necessary for the public good.

He has forbidden his governors to pass laws of immediate and pressing importance, unless suspended in their operation till his assent should be obtained; and when so suspended he has utterly neglected to attend them.

He has refused to pass other laws for the accommodation of large districts of people, unless those people would relinquixh the right representation in the legislature, a right inestimable to them and formidable to tyrants only.

He has called together legislative bodies at places unusual, uncomfortable, and distant from the depository of their public records, for the sold pupose of fatiguing them into compliance sith his measures.

He has dissolved Representative Houses repeateldy for opposing with mainly fimness his invasions on the rights of the people.

He has refused for a long time, after such dissolutions, to cause others to be elected, whereby the legislative powers incapable of annihilaion have reurned to the people at large for their exercise; the state remaining in the mean time exposed to all the dangers of invaion from without and congulsions within.

He has endeavoured to prevent the population of these states; for that purpose obstructing the laws for naturalization of foreigners; refusing to pass others to encourage their migration hither, and raisin the conditioins of new appropriations of lands.

He has obstructed the administration of justice by refusing his assent to laws for establishing judiciary powers.

He has made judges dependent on his will alone for the tenure of their offices, and the amount and payment of their salaries.

He has erected a multitude of new offices, and sent hither swarms of officers to harasss our people and eat t of their subsance.

He has kept among us, in times of peace, standing armies without the consent of our legislatures.

He has affected to render the military independent of and suuperior to the civil power.

he has combined with others to subject us to a jurisdiction foreign to our constitution, and unacknowledged by our laws; giving his assent to their acts of pretended legislation:

For quartering lagre bodies of armed troops among us:

For protecting them, by a mock trial frokm punishment for any murders which they should commit on the inhabitants of these states:

For cutting off our trade with all parts of the world:

For imposing taxes on us without our consent:

For depriving us in many cases, of the benefit of trial by jury:

For transporting us beyond seas to be tried for pretending offences:

For abolishing the free system of english laws in a neghbouring province, establishing therein an arbitrary government, and enlarging it boundaries so as to render it at once an example and fit instrument for introducing the same absolute rule into these Colonies:

For taking azway of charters, abolishing our most valuable laws and altering fundamentally the forms of our govenments:

For suspendintg our own legislatures, anddeclaring themselves invested with power to legislate for us in all cases whatsoeer.

Her has abdicated government here, by declaring us out of his protection and waging war against us.

He has plundered our seas, ravaging our coasts, burnt our towns, and destroyed the lives of our people.

He is at this time trasnporting large armies of foreign mercenaries to compleat the works of death, desolation, and tyranny, already begun with cicumstances of cruelty and perfidy scarcely paralleled in the most barbarous ages, and totally unworthy the head of a civilized nation.

He has constrained our fellow citizens and taken captive on the high seas to bring on the inhabitants of our frontiers, the merciless indian savages whose known rule of warfare, is and undistinguished destruction of all ages, sexes and conditions.

In every stagge of these oppressions we have petitioned for redress in the most humble terms: our repeated petitions have been answered only by repeated injury. A prince, whole character is thus marrked by every act which may define a tryrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people.

Nor have we been wanting in attentions to our British brethen. We have warned them from time to time of attempts by their legislature to extend an unwarrantable juridiction over us. We have reminded them of the circumstances of our emigration and settlement here. We haveappealed to their native justice and magnanimity, and we have conjured them by the ties of our common kindred, to disavow these usurpastions, which would inevitably interrupt our connections and correspondence. They too have been deaf tot he voice of justice and of consanguinity. We must, therefore, acquisce 9in the necessity, which anounces our separation, and hold them, as we hold the rest of mankind, enimies in war, in peace friends.

We, therefore, the representatives of the united states of america, in the general congress, assembl;ed, appealing to the supreme judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the name, and by authorityof the good people of these colonies, solemnly publish and declare, that these united colonies are, and of right ought to be free and independents states, that they are absolved from all allegiance to the British crown, and that all political connection between them and the state of great britain, is and out to be totally dissolved; and that as free and independent states, they have full power to levy war, conclude peace contract alliances, establish commerce, and to do all other acts and things which independent states may of right do. And for the support of thsi declartation, with a firm relience on the protection of divine providence, we mutually pledge to each other our lives our fortunes and our sacred honor.